


Lessons in Coping

by Anonymous



Series: Lessons in Control [3]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Anorexia, Bulimia, Eating Disorders, Healthy Coping Mechanisms, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Recovery, Suicidal Thoughts, for once
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:54:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29496147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: This is how Andrew Minyard recovers. (Please heed the tags.)
Relationships: Andrew Minyard & Allison Reynolds, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Series: Lessons in Control [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2163012
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24
Collections: anonymous





	Lessons in Coping

**Author's Note:**

> So, uh. This kind of just happened?   
> I feel like Neil's running could definitely be interpreted as unhealthy and that's kind of where I'm at right now. So.   
> This fic will be a series of short scenes focusing on Andrew recovering. I might do another fic on Neil if there's interest.   
> I'm iknowhowmystoryends if you're interested in my other AFTG fic :)  
> Disclaimer: these are coping mechanisms which I use. They are not meant to be comprehensive or apply to every situation.

_ “When I feel like throwing up,” Allison says, her gaze fixed on her pointed nails, “I chew gum. It’s something to do, something that keeps the nausea down.” _

Andrew goes through two packs of mint gum a day, chews mint gum until he doesn’t taste bile when he kisses Neil, chews mint gum until he realizes it’s been a week since the last time he threw up and he falls to his knees in front of the toilet.

Neil comes back to the dorm room to Andrew curled up against the bathroom wall. Neil doesn’t say anything, just pulls a pack of gum out of his pocket and hands it over. 

“This isn’t ever going away,” Andrew snarls, even as he takes the gum. “This isn’t ever getting fixed.”

Neil slides down the wall to sit beside Andrew, a careful inch between their bodies. It makes Andrew hate him, how easily he sets Andrew at ease. 

“I lost fifteen pounds my senior year,” Neil says. Andrew flicks a gaze in his direction and sees nothing but truth. “I just-- I kept running, you know? I ran at least five miles a day. Most of the time more. And after a while it was less about running and more about seeing how much I could lose and keep running.”

Andrew’s nails dig into his palms. “I didn’t ask.”

“I didn’t think I deserved to eat,” Neil says, calmly. “I'd gone hungry before, but-- well. I knew the fatality rate was decent, so I figured-- hey, may as well keep going, right? See if I--”

Andrew covers Neil’s mouth with his hand. Neil meets his gaze levelly. 

Andrew takes his hand away once his heart has slowed. “This doesn’t fix anything and you’re even more fucking stupid than I thought if you think it does.”

Neil’s face twists into something approaching anger. “Dobson is interested in fixing shit. I don’t care that you’re broken.”

It shouldn’t be reassuring. 

Andrew unwraps a stick of gum and shoves it into his mouth. 

They don’t move from the bathroom floor until Kevin starts banging on the door. 


End file.
